Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Westering Women

Barbara Brackman's Westering Women ~ 2016 BOM ~ 12 blocks, one each month posted the last Wednesday of each month. First block will be posted tomorrow. Exert from Barbara's initial post ~ "In 2016 we are going to feature a Block of the Month (here on Barbara's Civil War blog) for 12 months called Westering Women, celebrating the women who walked west on the overland trails in the 19th century."

Link to Barbara's Civil War Quilts blog post this morning with an introduction for the project with suggested settings for the blocks. Even if you are not up to starting a new project, this will be a good one to follow just for the history and stories that Barbara Brackman is so good at. Thank you Barbara. 

I love participating in Barbara's projects, both for the history as well as block and quilting history. Sew glad I found and participated in the very first project, a 2011 BOW which later was published into a 2012 book ~ Civil War Sampler by Barbara Brackman. Barbara contacted several participants, including me! and included pix of our blocks in her book. Three of my blocks are in the book, I was thrilled, to say the least plus I received an autographed copy from Barbara Brackman. Wow. Link to my blog post and the 3 blocks that were included.

Food for thought! With my goal of getting UFOs worked on and finished in 2016, sitting on the fence about joining in. After all, many of my UFOs are previous BOWs and BOMs made following Barbara's blogs. =^.^= However... I do have an overabundance of Civil War and calico fabrics crying out to be made into quilts. That would fall under the category of using up stash, right?

Enjoy your week
Off to work for me while I mull this one over ;0)
Tot ziens, Jo


Saturday, January 23, 2016

Calypso Kaleidoscope


Calypso Kaleidoscope is almost a flimsy! Yea!!! Today I finished the corners and added them to the center field. It takes up my entire 8 ft square design wall! Right now it measures 98 x 98. Once I add the final black borders it will finish at 106 x 106. 

A computer image of the original pattern...
This project started a year ago as a 2015 BOM with Stephanie at Quilt Addicts Anonymous. As usual I took my own path and ventured out of the crayon box ;0) It started with a few changes in the center, then a picket fence border turned into a zigzag. Came up with a paper pieced yellow cornerstone to add to the zigzag border.  From there, changes to all of the remaining blocks in the corners of the medallion. Pulled from my stash. The original is made with Moda's Calypso Batiks and Bella solids in black. The original is a beautiful medallion or it would not have drawn me in.

We had wind and wild weather that started in Red Bluff and headed our way this afternoon so I shut down. Tornado and so much hail they used a snow plow to clear I5. Thankfully, it dissipated by dark and Chico was not affected. 
Enjoy the rest of the weekend
Tot ziens, Jo

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

A UFO New Year


A little late to the party! I have been busy tho... getting over a bug, making changes around the house and my longarm business. We moved my industrial straight stitch into my longarm studio. It will be put back into use for window treatment UFOs for our house. No... there are no plans to go back into the window treatment business so please don't ask!

2016 WILL BE the year for UFOs! As tempting as the new projects are at this time of the year... I AM GOING to finish last year's first! Calypso is pretty close to a flimsy. Sew far this month, all of the blocks are sewn and the first triangle/quadrant of the medallion is together. Yea! Good start, now to keep it going for the whole year with more UFOs.


This is a pic from last year. My very old camera, the very first digital Olympus came out with has given up and I am searching for a camera. Any suggestions for a good camera for taking pix of quilts would be appreciated!
I made the difficult decision to cut back my longarm business. Here is a post from this morning about those changes.
Got tiered of being badgered by Microsoft and made the change to Windows10. Haven't decided if it's an 'up'grade or an annoyance. Definitely more invasive! 

Looking forward to what the New Year brings and the path it takes.
"We will be known forever by the tracks we leave"
Native American proverb 
  
Tot ziens, Jo